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SEE OUR ORGANIC FAQ BELOW

Where are your organic farms?

Our family-owned and operated farms are scattered about in beautiful Northern California, primarily in Sonoma and Marin Counties.

What are your animal welfare standards?

We believe in the humane treatment of all animals. For this reason, all of our cows are happy, healthy cows that live on family-farms who meet, and in most cases, exceed USDA Organics standards for animal welfare. For more information on USDA standards, please visit: https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic.

All of our organic cows are also raised by the philosophy of the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare: Freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease, freedom from fear or distress, and the freedom to express normal behaviors.

What happens when a calf is born?

When a calf is born, keeping them safe and healthy is our number one priority. Each family-farm differs, but it is safe to say that all calves (male and female) are cared for with the utmost attention from the moment they’re born and spend a varying amount of time with their mothers after birth. After spending time with their mothers, calves are placed in a warm protected area where they are closely monitored to receive the proper amount of colostrum and ensure they don’t show any signs of illness. Eventually, the calves enter a group pen with other calves. Each calf is very important to us, which is why we strive to keep them as safe, healthy, and, as protected as possible

Do you use growth hormones?

Never. We say ‘no’ to growth hormone rBST.

Do you treat the cows with antibiotics?

Very rarely. But in some cases, when an organic cow becomes ill, we need to treat them with antibiotics for humane purposes. If an organic cow is ever treated with antibiotics for humane purposes, it cannot rejoin the organic herd. To learn more, please visit: https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic

Do your farms use any pesticides or herbicides?

 No. Our Organic farms follow USDA Organic standards which state that their land must be free of any synthetic/ non-organic substances. For more information on these standards, please visit: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Allowed-Prohibited%20Substances.pdf

How are the cows housed? 

All of the housing for our organic cows provides them with access to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air and direct sunlight year round. This is typically a barn-like setting where the cows have fresh hay to sleep on.

How many days a year are your cows out on pasture?

In accordance with USDA Organic standards, our Organic cows have free access to pasture for the entire grazing season, which is at least 120 days a year. In Northern, CA where there are mild summers and winters, the grazing season can last well beyond 120 days a year.

What type of cows do you have?

While the types of cows vary farm to farm, a majority of our family-farms have Holstein cows. There are some farms with Jersey and also Brown Swiss.

What makes organic milk different from conventional milk?

Our organic milk is certified by USDA Organic and adheres to the rigorous standards they set, while conventional milk products do not. To learn more about USDA Organic standards, visit: https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic

Why does your organic milk taste different?

Organic milk is sourced healthy, happy cows that eat different feed which must contain at least 30 percent dry matter (on average) from a certified organic pasture. The rest of their diet must also be certified organic, including hay, grain, and other agricultural products and cannot contain antibiotics, GMO derived products, animal by-products or synthetic preservatives. Due to the requirements within an organic diet this can cause the taste of organic milk to taste differently from other milk products.